Political Standing for Feb. 8, 2013

Online-only this week, Political Scoop: My guest is former state Sen. Gary Lambert, R-Nashua, who made headlines this week by going after U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, and for announcing he is “looking into” challenging her.

Sunday, 10 a.m., CloseUP: Host Josh McElveen sits down in a one-on-one interview with Kevin Smith, R-Litchfield, who was in Washington this week exploring another run for governor. Then, UNH pollster Andy Smith discusses the findings of the first post-election WMUR Granite State Poll. In the last segment I come to talk about breaking the Kuster property tax story and the fallout all week.

For Those Keeping Track

Chris Sununu was talking more trash about Carol Shea-Porter than he was about Maggie Hassan at Mike Biundo’s gathering.

The new Netflix original series “House of Cards,” will probably be enjoyed by anyone who reads this column weekly, but not sure why someone from New Hampshire was the first person who got played.

In Case You Missed It

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on the WGIR Morning Show this week that he expects to be exploring a presidential run in New Hampshire within the next six months.

Trivia

Last week I asked: Sticking with history, what famous author was one of Franklin Pierce’s best friends?

Since no one was getting the hard ones I put up, I gave an easier one last week. About 50 correctly said Nathaniel Hawthorne. The first to do so was Sean Doyle, the Deputy Executive Director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party (and Franklin Pierce University alum).

Here is our question for this week: What did then-Congressman Lou Wyman tell friends was the main reason he didn’t run for the U.S. Senate in 1964?

Be the first to give the answer in an email (jpindell [at] hearst [dot] com), and I’ll recognize you next week.

Questions For The Weekend

How big of a deal will Jeff Rose’s affiliation with pro-Northern Pass groups hurt his nomination for DRED commissioner?

In nominating Rose, does it mean that Hassan just created her own Kelly Ayotte? If so, does this mean the Democratic base will demand someone other than Mike Delaney for Attorney General?

So, as NHPR reported, Gov. Maggie Hassan publicly asked the NH Patch website to use a corporate driven marketing hashtag on today’s winter storm and Patch immediately did. If Hassan asked them to jump off a bridge would they?

Is Hassan’s budget proposal going to be done in time for the budget address or will it just be a framework?

When it dawns on the Republican members of the joint health committee that they can't do anything to stop a partnership exchange, will they just complain rhetorically or try to escalate a real confrontation?

Can George Bald save the LGC?

Will Kelly Ayotte get in plow truck and help her husband’s business?

If DOT performs well in the storm this weekend, does that help or hurt Chris Clement's case for more funding?

How weird is it to be John Lynch this weekend just watching Channel 9 and sipping hot chocolate?

Of the 100 people who listened to Mike Biundo talk about the need to do more phone banking, how many actually have ever been to one?

Does everyone feel better after the Line in Granite Second Amendment rally?

Will the National Republican Congressional Campaign get over their obsession with Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau to run against Annie Kuster for Congress? While we have long agreed on paper she is a great match she is scared around two types of people: reporters and Republicans (not sure in which order).

Yes, there is some back story that most people don’t get, but the public has got to wonder if a pro-Guinta group puts out a poll showing Jeanne Shaheen is up six over a generic Republican, then does that mean she is really up double digits?

Isn’t holding a town hall on gambling like holding a town hall in South Bend on Notre Dame football?

Reminder: Before we get to the ups and downs, a quick reminder from Roger Ailes who fired Dick Morris as a Fox News contributor. As he fired him, Morris said Ailes told him, “In this business, you’re up, you’re down. Nothing is final or fatal.”

It’s true.

UP

Pro-commuter Rail: With the approval of study money, rail proponents can continue the conversation of expanded rail in the State and soon will have data to (hopefully) back up their rhetoric.

Jennifer Horn: Gumption. She correctly rejected the premise that she couldn’t get aggressive on Kuster’s tax issue. After all, Horn isn’t on a ballot, but Kuster is planning to be in 2014. Horn sucked it up for the team and it worked.

Jeff Woodburn: He's impressing State House observers with his ability to line up the North Country around gambling, and his overall ability to build relationships with Democrats and Republicans in the building alike.

Jeff Rose: With BAE laying off, this was even better timing for Rose to move up. Even if, as one Republican already noted, he is not a GOP pariah, the same Republican noted that it was the right play by both Rose and Hassan who nominated him to be DRED Commissioner this week.

House GOP leadership: They kept quiet on the bill to increase the fee on heating oil by 25%, then sprung a roll call on party line that got all of the Democrats on record on an issue that will undoubtedly be used in direct mail just as people are filling up their oil tanks in October of 2014.

Political direct mail firms: The USPS cancelling Saturday delivery means one fewer day per week to drop direct mail to voters. With the saturation of TV by high-level campaigns, direct mail is one of the few ways that down ballot candidates can get their message out. Now, even that's been limited.

Chuck Morse and Lou D’Allesandro: Nice rollout of the gambling proposal with 250 in attendance in Salem. The news that Millennium has extended their option to buy Rockingham Park suggests that there are positive behind the scenes developments that something might happen on the issue.

PUSH

Mike Biundo: Getting 100 people to show up to what was basically a business development meeting for his new consulting firm is not easy to do, especially with the party diversity that was represented. Still, the central message of his speech couldn’t have been more incorrect. Ray Buckley is not the Republican Party’s enemy as he said. Buckley isn’t on a ballot. Hassan or Jeanne Shaheen -- sure, but not Buckley. Well, at least if you listen to what those walking out of the meeting were saying and watch what Horn is doing this week you get that impression. By the way, does he not know that there already is a “Grover” type meeting every other Friday in the state?

DOWN

Annie Kuster: Not paying your taxes on time is bad. Doing it for 3 years straight is worse. However, not having an easy, digestible explanation as to her tardiness is what has caused this story to grow legs and drag on. In her first real test in Congress, Kuster whiffed.

Al Gore: His appearance in the state in this week should leave no one with the illusions that he is about to re-emerge on the political scene. Besides his controversial/hypocritical sell-out on to Al Jazeera, his brief trip to Concord for a book signing, a) had no advance publicity besides an hour on the Exchange a week before the event; b) he had corporate chain Books A Million organize the event and not an independent bookstore like Gibsons; c) the event was held at a convention center owned by a Republican National Committeeman whom unions aren’t exactly the biggest fan of; and d) turnout was so much lower than expected that staff began removing chairs.

NRCC/Charlie Bass: They didn’t find that Annie Kuster wasn’t paying her property taxes online before Election Day when it would have mattered more.

NH press: See above.

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